Apparatus for decorating candles

ABSTRACT

A planar mold plate having an embossing surface comprising a raised negative image is used for decorating a candle. The mold plate has a plurality of drain passages therethrough to conduct away wax melted from the candle side wall. A hot plate supports and heats the mold plate to candle wax melting temperature so that a candle rolled across the embossing surface receives a decorative image on its side wall.

United States Patent Mathews [4 1 Mar. 14, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FORDECORATING [56] References Cited CANDLES UNITED STATES PATENTS [721Mitzi Mame, Valley 1,237,442 8/1917 Ahlburg ..l0l/7 73 Assign: BmegateCandle Company, Momma, 3,474,498 10/l969 Hoppes ..l8/44 X C l'f. a 1Primary Examiner-H. A. Kilby, Jr.

[22] Filed: Sept. 4, 1969 Attorney-Flehr, Hohbach, Test, Albritton &Herbert 21 Appl. No.2 855,198 [57] ABSTRACT A planar mold plate havingan embossing surface comprising a [52] U.S.Cl ..425/385,10l/7 i d n g tii ag i used for decorating a candle. The [51] Int. Cl .3290 21/00 oldlate has a plurality of drain passages therethrough to [58] Field ofSearch ..l8/1 K, 17 H, 9, 5.3 C, 5.3 H, conduct away wax melted from thecandle side wall. A hot plate supports and heats the mold plate tocandle wax melting temperature so that a candle rolled across theembossing surface receives a decorative image on its side wall.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Mitzi R. Mathews1w, W w

Aflorneys Patented March 14, 1972 APPARATUS FOR DECORATING CANDLESBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I-Ieretofore, decorative relief patternshave been created on the surfaces of candles, but such patterns havebeen limited to relatively simple shapes unless the candles areinitially molded in a decorative split mold. Such molds are expensive toproduce and to use. A limited form of decoration can be done by waxremoval of portions of the s$rface of a preformed candle using a heatedblade. In general, it would be desirable to be able to re-create arelief reproduction of any art work on a common block candle in a simpleand convenient manner. There is, therefore, a need for a new method andapparatus for decorating candles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND OBJECTS This invention relates to a methodand apparatus for decorating candles and particularly to such a methodand apparatus by which a relief reproduction of original art work can betransferred to the surface of a preformed block candle.

In general, it is an object of the present invention to provide a methodand apparatus for decorating candles in which a planar stereotype moldis created from an original art work in relief and is heated so that itsimage can be transferred into the surface of a candle to form a reverserelief image.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus ofthe above character which is applicable to a wide variety of originalart work.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus ofthe above character which lends itself readily to mass production ofdecorated candles.

In general, the above objects are achieved by a method and apparatus inwhich a conventional cylindrical block candle is rolled over a heatedstereotype mold supported in a generally horizontal plane. The moldconsists of a planar stereotype relief mold corresponding to thenegative image of the art work to be transferred and has a length atleast as great as the circumference dimension of the candle. The mold isprovided with a large number of drain passages therethrough by whichmolten wax flowing across the mold surface is drained away from thesurface in contact with the candle. In this way the clarity of the imagetransferred to the candle is maintained from being washed over withexcess molten wax. It is found that practically any art work having acharacteristic line pattern can be used as the basis for the reliefimage and cast into stereotype for use with the present invention.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an isometric view ofapparatus depicting the practice of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an embossing mold constructed in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the embossing mold of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the manner of contact betweenthe candle and the embossing mold as used in the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates the completed candle product made by the method andapparatus of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the FIGS., theapparatus and manner of carrying out the present invention is shown indetail and utilizes suitable means for defining and uniformly heating aplanar support. Such means can be of any conventional type such as anelectric or gas heated griddle or hot plate 10. The hot plate serves toestablish a generally horizontal surface 11 for supporting an embossingplate 12 which rests thereon under gravity. The temperature of the hotplate is raised to a level sufficient to melt wax so that the plate 12is heated by conduction and is thereby capable of impressing a patterninto the outer wall of the candle by melting away the wax thereon, aswill be further explained.

The embossing plate 12 comprises a solid flat base supporting a raisedembossing image conforming to the pattern to be transferred to thecandle. The plate I2 is formed according to a stereotype process inwhich the pattern to be formed is generated from suitable artwork suchas a line drawing. The artwork can be photo-enlarged or photo-reduced toa size conforming to that of the desired dimensions of the finishedcandle product. This artwork is the basis to form a master plate with araised positive image of the artwork in which the dark line portions ofthe artwork correspond to the raised ridges in the master plate. Theplate is etched in a conventional manner to a depth of about one-eighthof an inch which is deep enough that the candle can be rolled across theheated surface of the plate without sinking to the bottom of the etcheddepth.

After the plate has been etched, its upper surface is characterized by aplurality of regions bounded by portions thereof forming raisedembossing ridges 14, some of which close together to form basins whichmay or may not open laterally. The upper surface of these ridges lie ina plane. Were the plate used without further modifications, pools ofmolten candle wax would form within these regions and generally over thesurface of the plate. Such pools of molten wax would be detrimental toobtaining transfer of the image to the candle.

Accordingly, means are provided for establishing a large number of drainpassages 16 scattered throughout the extent of the embossing plate 12.Such drain passages extend generally transversely between the upper andlower surfaces of the plate. They are preferably positioned at thelowermost position in the etched regions. Some of the drain passages areselectively positioned to open into the lowermost portion of thoseregions of the pattern that are closed and have no other way to drainoff. For example, in FIG. 2, a drummer 18 is shown, the outlines ofwhich fonn a large number of closed upwardly opening regions which wouldtend to collect molten candle wax. Each of these regions is relieved bya drain passage 16 opening through the plate to its other side. Forclarity, only a few are numbered, but each shaded circle represents adrain passage. In general, a one-eighth inch hole is found to beadequate for permitting the passage of molten candle wax, however,larger or smaller holes may be used within a reasonable range takinginto account the size of the regions in the decorative pattern beingtransferred.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 4, the operation of the method ofthe present invention is illustrated and shows a candle 20 positioned atone end of the embossing plate in such a manner that, when rolled acrossthe top of the plate in succession, portions of the candle scircumference come into contact with the plate. Speed of rotation of thecandle is selected so that the heated image on the embossed imagepenetrates into the candle a limited degree. That is to say, the candleis rolled over the plate at a speed which permits the heated image ofthe embossing plate to penetrate into the candle wall but fast enough sothat the candle does not sink into full contact with the lowermost orbase level of the image.

As the candle is rolled, the image is transferred under the pressureexerted from the weight of the candle itself and the operator need onlyroll the candle at a speed commensurate with the heat being supplied bythe plate and fast enough to obtain a clear image. It is found that thisis a readily acquired skill which depends upon the weight of the candle,its size, and the temperature of the plate.

Wax melted off of the candle flows downwardly over the surfaces of theimage and passes out through the drain passages therein. Means aresupplied for maintaining a slight gap between the mold and the heatedplate and can consist of the general unevenness in the lower surface ofthe embossing plate resulting from the burrs produced by the drilling ofthe drain passages.

As shown in FIG. 5, the embossed candle product of the present inventionattains a particularly pleasing appearance conforming nicely to'theconfiguration of the embossing plate. It is further found that the drainpassages do not cause any unwanted pattern to appear in the finalproduct. Where the candle has been given a decorative coat ofcontrasting color, as shown, the procedure of the present inventionpenetrates that coat and thereby achieves a pattern having theunderlying color wherever struck by the raised ridges of the embossingplate. For example, a red candle might receive a white surface coating22 which is then melted through in the present process to give theappearance of a red pattern in a white field.

I claim:

1. ln apparatus for decorating in relief the side wall of a wax candlehaving a surface layer of wax thereon, of a contrasting color; agenerally planar, embossing mold plate including a substantially flatsupporting base and an upper surface configurated with raised anddepressed regions defining the negative image of desired decorativeindicia, means removably supporting said mold plate in a generallyhorizontal plane, heating means arranged with respect to said embossingplate to maintain the raised regions of the upper surface thereof at atemperature permitting the raised regions to melt and penetrate thesurface layer of the candle, and means on said mold plate in thedepressed regions thereof defining a plurality of drain passagewaysextending downwardly through said mold plate serving to permit escapefrom the mold plate of wax melted from a candle side wall onto saidsupporting means, the depressed regions of said mold plate beingdisposed below the surface of the raised regions a distance greater thanthe thickness of said surface layer whereby said mold plate raisedregions may be made to penetrate through said surface layer into saidwax candle without engaging said surface layer with said depressedregions.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim I wherein the depressed regions ofsaid mold plate are disposed generally about one-eighth inch below thesurface of the raised regions and wherein the means defining drainpmageway through said plate are individual openings of an areacommensurate with a one-eighth inch diameter hole.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said heating meansincludes a hot plate, means holding said embossing mold plate spacedfrom said hot plate so that the material melted from the candle sidewall flows directly through said drain passage means onto and over thesurface of said hot plate.

1. In apparatus for decorating in relief the side wall of a wax candlehaving a surface layer of wax thereon, of a contrasting color; agenerally planar, embossing mold plate including a substantially flatsupporting base and an upper surface configurated with raised anddepressed regions defining the negative image of desired decorativeindicia, means removably supporting said mold plate in a generallyhorizontal plane, heating means arranged with respect to said embossingplate to maintain the raised regions of the upper surface thereof at atemperature permitting the raised regions to melt and penetrate thesurface layer of the candle, and means on said mold plate in thedepressed regions thereof defining a plurality of drain passagewaysextending downwardly through said mold plate serving to permit escapefrom the mold plate of wax melted from a candle side wall onto saidsupporting means, the depressed regions of said mold plate beingdisposed below the surface of the raised regions a distance greater thanthe thickness of said surface layer whereby said mold plate raisedregions may be made to penetrate through said surface layer into saidwax candle without engaging said surface layer with said depressedregions.
 2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the depressedregions of said mold plate are disposed generally about one-eighth inchbelow the surface of the raised regions and wherein the means definingdrain passageway through said plate are individual openings of an areacommensurate with a one-eighth inch diameter hole.
 3. The apparatus asdefined in claim 1 wherein said heating means includes a hot plate,means holding said embossing mold plate spaced from said hot plate sothat the material melted from the candle side wall flows directlythrough said drain passage means onto and over the surface of said hotplate.